When are you getting married?
by FOXGIRL200
Summary: Jo and Jess are tired of waiting for Jae to ask Tori to officially become the new Mrs. West...


Disclaimer: I own NOTHING!

"When are you and Tori going to get married?"

And that, my dearest friends, is how Jo's favorite top got _covered_ with coffee-thankfully it was ice coffee but, still it was not a particularly pleasant feeling...at all. Imagine ice being poured on your skin after being in a pool for a few hours. Yeah…not a good sensation. Jo cleaned the beverage off of her shirt as best she could, which, in reality means that she threw said shirt in the dirty clothes hamper and proceeded to walk around in nothing but her bra and boxers-Scooby doo. Hey…August had a doctor's appointment-no surprise visitors so nothing to worry about. At least…Jo hoped not. She eyed Jade closely, lips quirked, eyebrow arched. Did I mention that Jo and Jess looked almost exactly like Jade…well, when Jade was sixteen. Sometimes, it was a little bewildering, scary. "Well…I mean, you are thirty, and getting older by the second-you don't have much time left before you're old and grey; forgetting your name and mistaking Jess for a garden gnome."

"I'm right here!"

Isn't it weird when people appear from thin air?

"Moving on…when are you going to ask Tori to marry you?" Jo asked.

"Jeez…I'm thirty, not three-hundred! And anyway, I'm not even _really_ thirty; I'm twenty-nine and a half." Jade took a swig of her…apple juice…? I know, weird. Upon walking into the kitchen Jo had thought for sure it was the beginning of the apocalypse-Jade turning down coffee for apple juice? What in the…? Getting back to the point! Jade nervously tapped her fingers against the marble counter top that was the breakfast island. Something…was not normal. Since when does Jade get nervous? Well, there was the time Jade had asked Tori to move in…and the time Jade had confessed her undying, passion filled love for all things Tori Vega; not to mention the time that Jade- -

"JO!"

"Huh? What, who?"

"You were narrating inside of your head again!" Jess was patient when it came to Jo, some would even say Jess was an enabler to the girl's bizarre behavior. But- and listen closely-Jess refused to be a character in one of Jo's make believe musings and fantasies-her novel that was yet to be published maybe- no matter how entertaining of well thought out they may be. I mean, Jo was a genius author; how she hadn't written a best seller already was beyond everyone in the West/ Vega household, as well as Kaiten and August…I mean- -and that's not just because August is her boyfriend-the girl has talent. "Focus…! There is something we are supposed to be doing right now, and it is _not_ spacing out and staring into space like it's a never ending river of August's hair!"

Blushing…Jo was blushing soooo bad. Avert your eyes lest you be overcome by the sheer _redness_ of her skin.

"Right…! So…when can we expect Tori to officially become our new sister-in-law?"

Jade side, her eyes darting from left to right and then back. "I- -I don't want to talk about It. so…Jo, Jess, how's it going in the science club?" she said at last, her head hung as she stared at the counter-top. Pause! Now…I may interrupt the story a lot, but this needs to be said: Jo and Jess are HORRIBLE at Science; the highest grade Jess ever received was a C- and Jo a C. luckily, Jo opted to take the offered tutoring and bumped her grade up to a B+…Jess not so much. The churn of her stomach was nearly audible; she was turning green around the cheeks. Nausea…dizziness…Jade was feeling slightly off balance. She was resisting the urge to spill the contents of her stomach right there on the kitchen floor…again. Do. Not. Ask…please, my fingers are getting sore from all the typing. Seriously, major carpool tunnel going on. Pause…pause…another pause…Now then, while the fourth wall is being repaired.

"Jade…don't try to change the subject." Jo said.

"I- -this is not something I feel like- -I'm not good at this kind of thing!" since when did Jo's West face surpass Jade's in the unnerving department?

"Excuse me…what department? Jess asked.

"Romantic gestures…I want to ask…I just don't know _how_."

"Easy…you walk up to her, get on one knee, present your ring- -don't forget the ring, that's important. You look deeply into her eyes and say the five magic words: 'Tori…will you marry me?' she says yes, and you live happily ever after."Jo went on, making kissy faces and doe eyes at the air, slow dancing with herself. She swayed to unheard music, flowing gently along the titled floor of the kitchen, spinning herself around in a circle and dipping herself as a finale. When all was said and done, she took a bow.

"Jo…what is wrong with you?" Jess asked.

"A lot of things…moving on. Anyway as much as I hate to admit it…that is basically how these things usually go…minus the planning and possible rejection." Jess sighed.

"That…is exactly why I'm not asking…at least not now."

"Oh…you two have been together for fifteen years, since you were fifteen years old…that's almost our whole lives and- -oh, wow, I just realized how long that is. I mean, Jo and I...we're kinda old." Jess said.

"You're teenagers."

"Wise beyond our years…" Jess said.

"…You'd be surprised how much older cars and night braces; surgeries and badly burned boyfriends can make a girl feel." Jo said, tone light but face serious. Her last encounter with August had left a deep impression in her mind; his sharing his story had made her feel…different, less scarred. It felt nice to know that he had similar issues…even August wasn't as self-conscious about his scars-counseling and therapy seemed to be the right choice in his case. His support and friendship meant the world to Jo, it meant more to her than words could express...Kaiten as well; they were her ally's…it was nice to know she had them. Jo shook herself from her thoughts. "I'm just saying we understand a lot more than you and Tori give us credit for. And we know for a fact that Tori would get married in an abandoned outhouse in the middle of summer if it meant that you were going to be her wife. She loves you…why, I don't know, but she does. Despite your caffeine addiction, inability to sleep with farting…loudly- -" Jade blushed.

"There's also your jealous streak, refusal to deal with the fact that Jo and I have boyfriends- -" Jade growled, right on cue. "Disturbing love of horror movies, freakishly pale skin- -"

"You two are just as pale!" Jade exclaimed.

"But on us it's cute." Jo quipped.

"I'm cute, too…" Jade pouted.

"Says who?" Jess smirked.

"…Tori…"

"See…when someone like Tori says you're cute, and you don't threaten them with scissors, it must by love! Marry the woman! And…just so you know, if you make me wear a dress to the wedding, I will make read your diary at the reception." Jo said.

"You wouldn't."

"Really…" Jo's voice lowered a few octaves, deepening into a perfect imitation of Jade, "'Dear Diary, Vega actually agreed to move in with me! I can believe it! Jo and Jess don't know yet; we're keeping it a surprise, but I'm just so happy. I think I may actually squeal…Tori lives with me: BEST DAY EVER!'" her voice returned to normal, "and I know there's a lot more where that came from!" Jo smirked; thank god Jade had taught her how to copy and repeat voices; even if Jade still mocked Tori with the southern belle imitation, both she and Jo had mastered the true tone of Tori's actually voice…Shh, don't tell. Jess on the other hand, hadn't even mastered whistling. It'd be months before she could imitate anything.

"Why did I teach you to do that again?"

"Because you were bored and I kept bugging you." Jo said.

"Annoying little brat." Jade sighed.

"I like to think of myself as a persistent little brat. Now, are you going to ask her, or am I going to have to sing 'Jade and Tori sitting in a Tree' until you do? And I will…so help me I will."

"When are you going to ask?" Jess piped in. "When are you getting married?"

"If everything goes as planned tonight…sooner than you think."

Wait…

What…?

WHAT?

Three…two…on…

"YES! YES! YES! I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT!" Jess- the ever excitable Jess- bounced around the kitchen, knocking over cups and bowls in the process.

"And I thought you were the clumsy one." Jade and Jo pouted. Jade shook her head. She needed to get to the restaurant by 8 o'clock if her plan had any chance of succeeding. She stood, tripped, cursed when Jo laughed and scurried to the front door. She threw on her jacket and gloves before jamming a winter hat atop her head "I have to get ready for my date tonight." Jade said her eyes focused on the sight of Jess and Jo West. "So I don't have time for this. Let's just forget this conversation, okay?" In all honesty, Jade was debating between hiding in the backyard or giving in and showing the twins the ring she'd personally picked out for Tori.…both options seemed viable, but the second choice would ruin the surprise. Anything to avoid what promised to be very uncomfortable and likely embarrassing proposal failure. She was thirty- -twenty-nine and a half; most women her age had already received "Will you marry me" speech; many women had already begun-the preparations for the perfect honeymoon _._ Jade however, was nowhere near close to almost ready to take that step in her relationship with Tori…until now, why was she making so nervous?

"Because you're in love and you want to spend the rest of your life with Tori…and if she says no, you'll be crushed." Jo said lazily.

"What…?"

"You…were thinking out loud." Jo said, then she gave Jade a hug. "Don't worry; it's Tori…she loves you, a lot. I'm convinced that it isn't healthy to love someone as much as you two love each other. But…you do. Go get your girl, Jadey."

XXXX

Everything was set to perfection; the restaurant was paid for in advance, the stage prepped for her little performance, Cat had already guaranteed Jade a slot on stage-all according to plan. Excitement was bubbling up within Jade as the time drew nearer; it was as if Jade had drank a year's supply of coffee in three hours-she was jumpy, hyper. _Calm down…relax…focus…don't blow this…_ Jade ran her fork across her plate, scraping up the leftover food and slowly, deliberately, placing it in her mouth-in her state, everything tasted like soap, but she needed something to settle her stomach. She spoke slowly, as if the world were forcing themselves out of her. Her mind was running a mile a minutes, her focus on anything but the actual things she was _saying._ She was nervous…scratch that…she was FREAKING OUT! Tori spoke, but Jade didn't hear a word that was said. Her eyes zeroed in on those perfect, soft lips all the way up to Tori's beautifully brown…eyes…and Jade's nerves went bye-bye.

 _"_ _Jade…is something wrong? You seem a little nervous."_

 _"_ _No…no, I'm okay, don't worry."_

 _A man's voice… "Will Jade West come up to the stage…?"_

 _"_ _Jade…?"_

 _Jade smiled and stood, taking slow, careful steps up to the stage, her dress swaying with each step. She took the microphone in one hand. "Tori…I'm going to need you to listen really closely before you walk up here and yell at me for embarrassing you, okay?"_

 _A chuckle._

 _"We met at school, and ever since I dumped my coffee on your head, I knew you had me…I pretended to hate you. I tried to make myself believe that you were after my boyfriend, who, in reality, was just my best friend covering for me so my parents thought I liked boys. And eventually…you made me fall in love with you. And when my parents died, and Jo and Jess were left in my care…I don't think I could have done it without you." Jade wiped a tear away. Even now, the death of Jillian and Keith was not an easy topic to discuss, especially since Jillian's birthday was a mere two weeks away. "We've been together for fifteen years now. "At a gasp in the audience, Jade giggled, "Yeah…we're getting old, huh? But…I want to get old with you, but not as just my girlfriend…"_

 _Okay…when did Jade get so close, and why was she on one knee? Unless…oh…dear…God…!_

 _"Tori…Babe, will you marry me? Be Mrs. West officially?"_

 _A pause…_

 _Another pau- -_

 _"_ _Oh, my- -yes...yes, yes, YES!"_

The kisses they'd shared in that restaurant were the most passionate they could have been and neither one wanted to pull away. Their hands stayed glued together as they practically skipped out of the restaurant, paying little attention to the standing ovation they were receiving, smiles firmly planted on their faces.

" _I love you."_

"I L _ove you, too…soon to be Mrs. West."_

 _"I can't wait tell Jo and Jess; oh my… they're going to be soooo excited!"_

 _"I…think they were expecting this…" Jade said. "But I'd tell them tomorrow…you know, when it isn't 11o'clock on a school night." Jade giggled at Tori's crestfallen expression. "But…we can tell them first thing tomorrow before school…promise."_

 _"Okay…love you Jadey-kins."_

 _"Love you too, Tor- Tor."_

 _"I like Mrs. West better."_

 _"I love you, Mrs. West." Jade said. "You have no idea how much."_

 _._


End file.
